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Revelations 1: 8 |
My wondrous journey at Serra School began in Kindergarten. Though I was nervous my teacher, Miss. Smith always tried to make me feel welcome. My best friend in Kindergarten was Justin C. Miss Smith would always make learning fun for any student, no matter what she would need to do to accomplish it. She would choose students to go up and pick prizes from her selection. The Harvest Festivals were in October and contained everything from games and catered food to our own Haunted House. I remember learning our very own Kindergarten chant:
I don’t know if you’ve been told
We’re the Serra Blue and Gold
S. E. R. R. A.
Serra Catholic all the way.
We’re the kindergarten from our school
We think Jesus is real cool
S. E. R. R. A.
Serra and Jesus all the way!
(Repeat each line like an echo)
My journey moved on to the next year with Mrs. Enoch. I couldn't help but like the teacher who's very reason for existing seemed to be making life fun. She put green food coloring in the toilets, and green footprints outside the 1st grade door. She invented a routine for every day, such as Wacky Wednesday or Freaky Friday. During Wacky Wednesday she would sometimes dress up as a clown and read funny stories. On Freaky Friday she would turn the room into a house of horror. She had a treasure chest full of prizes for good students only. Mrs. Enoch taught us songs such as 50/50. My friends in 1st grade had several new additions, such as Justin C., Justin D., Erik B. and Scott Fullerton. Our very 1st school play was the legendary "Wizard of OZ". Here we did a project of sending things we called Flat Stanley to friends and family and stated asking for additions of pictures and drawings on it.
The long trek continued on to 2nd grade, with Mrs. Balsis as our new guide. She managed to introduce us to the idea of strict learning on a schedule while still having fun. Here I found a new world. I decided to join the Cub Scouts and found a whole new world to explore along with new friends such as Erik C. The Second Grade also brought me to see the Church in a new perspective. In this year I received two sacraments, First Reconciliation and First Communion at San Francisco Solano church. Now that I had become a full-on member of the Church, I was granted the honor of receiving Communion every week, being forgiven of my sins, and participating in the May Crowning Ceremony. Mrs. Balsis helped me to begin seeing History in a different way. Mrs. Blaine had us make models of dinosaurs and help us understand the Earth's past. Our second school play was another classic, Huckleberry Finn. We had a field trip to the Bowers museum.
Third Grade began with Mrs. Deimer as our new teacher. She helped us to understand the Scientific order of the world. Mrs. Deimer helped us to begin understanding our jobs as students of the school. Scouting took me once again to a new level, Bear Scouts. I did a class project in which the 3rd grade each took on a buddy from Santa Ana and sent them gifts and agreed to have them over for a day. We all knew it would be fun but we managed to give these kids a day like no other. Although she only remained as a teacher for two years she changed the minds of all her students
The fourth grade brought us to the wonderful person and teacher known as Mrs. Sandfort. We took a field trip to the Heritage Hill School where we learned how lucky we are to have school in modern days. In the technology lab we did our explorer project. Our school play for this year was Annie. This year we did a project on the solar system. We also did projects on a mission and mine was a photo journal on Mission San Luis Rey
Fifth grade brought us to the last step of Elementary School. Life would most surely change after this year. Here I became a part of the wonderful Mrs. Peale's class, though she only stayed for one year she made it count. She worked us through our state report. We wrote reports on our heroes in the technology lab. This year our school play was Peter Pan. We took a field trip to the Aquarium of the Pacific and to the Sanitation plant of Rancho Santa Margarita. We performed as a 5th grade, the living station of the cross. Here we also did our very own presidential election.
In sixth grade we took our first big step into
Middle School, with Mrs. Passero, Mr. Adair, Mrs. Tilton, and Mrs. Fiore. Here we
read both the Egypt Game and Tuck Everlasting. We also did our
Natural Wonders project here.
During this year America changed forever. We were attacked by Afghanistan.
On September 11th two hijacked planes plummeted into the World Trade Center
buildings. America was devastated, but we reformed into a more united
nation because of this tragedy. Here our school play was Cinderella.
Mrs. Passero walked us through ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. We made
projects of mummies. Here we entered a wondrous trip to
Science Camp. Mrs. Passero also showed us the fun of the original
Olympics in Greece by letting us have our own 6th grade Greek Olympics with
groups of six representing a ancient Greek town. During the summer of this
year our good friend and classmate
Bretton Friestedt passed away.
Seventh Grade brought us one step closer to the end of our long trek through Serra. Here we began to bond as never before with the 8th grade. We became good friends thru many experiences together such as our 1st dance. We may not have known how to feel at first, but we found a like for the new privileges of seventh grade. In the technology lab we began a large project on our favorite animal, mine was the Peregrine Falcon. Our school play was a sharp turn in which we became a play not made by Disney but a Broadway play. Bye, Bye, Birdie. Here I had now worked tediously in Boy Scouts to have now nearly achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, soon I would hold that rank. Here we also visited the Medieval Times fair. This year I began to grasp my newfound love for Lord of the Rings. My former enjoyment gained from the
Seventh Grade ended and led us to the very last step of our journey, Eighth Grade. From this point we ruled Serra School. No student could overpower us. The home stretch began for the end as Mrs. Budhabhatti was my new homeroom teacher. We were the first class to try our new eighth grade leadership camp at Pali Mountain leadership Camp near Arrowhead.
The camp brought us together as one eighth grade. We learned what it was like to work for a common goal with those, before we may not have considered friends. We had a difficult challenge ahead of us, our High School career was looming to begin on the horizon. Soon we would be separated, even if not to different High School, but to different classes and friends. My sisters and their friends both left Junior High thinking "we'll be friends forever". They're both out of High School now and those old friends barely ever look at each other now. We also still had the Entrance Exams ahead of us. Even with so many difficulties though we'll be friends to the end.
Click here to see my self- assessment for my eight- grade year
Serra School Anthem
Hail to the blue and gold
The Serra pennant on high.
Hail to the courage that makes us bold
To seek our Creator on high.
Hail to the faith of our glorious dream
As we live by the Golden Rule.
Hail to Father Junipero Serra
The namesake of our school.
Three things I do well are:
1. Ride horses because I spent 4 years at a camp learning to ride horses and I grew to love the thrill of the sport.
2. Play Video Games because I enjoy thinking ways out of the situations you get forced into
3. Make friends because I have always been able to find some common ground no matter what the case.
Three things I would like to improve about myself are:
1. My study habits because I can't keep my mind concentrated on school when my TV and video games. I want to find a way to block out these outer influences
2. My responsibility because while I often want something and promise to work for it. I usually stop after one week
3. My sense of caring for all living things because now I feel I am starting to lose what I used to have
Three things I enjoy doing are:
1. Playing video games because they create virtually impossible scenarios.
2. Playing Football because it keeps me on my toes at all times.
3.Camping because it tests your physical resolve to rough it.
A goal I have for this year is: To get good grades and get into a good high school
I will achieve this goal by
1. Reviewing what we learned that day at night
2. Studying tomorrow's material the day before.
3.try to grasp the love
Three careers that I am interested in are:
1.Veterinarian because I have always loved animals and I would like to spend my life with them
2.Marine Biologist because I have always wanted to know what lives in the deep and explore for new species.
3.Become a parent and have a family
Three school subjects related to my career interests and why are:
1.Science because it involves living things.
2.Medicine because I need to know what vaccines to give.
3.banking to manage my funds and payments.
This year I have learned to trust in God and calculate difficult algebraic equations.
Simpre Adelante
"Always Forward"
